Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM are two separate products and Microsoft have done the minimum to replicate data between them. Surely then, some of Microsoft’s competitors such as NetSuite and SAP Business One will beat that hands down with their single, integrated solutions?
Well I don’t agree, I’ve tried the CRM in both and it’s not a patch on Dynamics CRM. While I’m sure you’ll write that off as bias, I’ll explain why I think I’m on the money.
The major issue ever since the first contact management system came into existence is getting the data updated. Millions of organisations have invested in a CRM system only to see the money wasted because their staff don’t use them and maintain the information in them. Once data accuracy’s gone you’ve lost – especially with CRM. Use that out-of-date data for a campaign after that and it can mean reputational damage.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the only system not still prone to that failure. Why? Because Dynamics CRM is part of Outlook – a master stroke by Microsoft. Email has become the key business application. No one who has contact with customers can be without it and, more to the point, Outlook is the most used email application in business by a massive percentage.
Immediately, with no training, your staff are in your CRM system as soon as they turn on their computers. What’s more emails, appointments and contacts are logged into that system without the users even doing anything differently.
So it doesn’t take long before users are telling you how useful it is to have access to emails sent to other people, having up to date contacts and accounts complete with transaction information and being able to see all the activities that have happened with each customer and vendor.
And the integration with the ERP software? If you are using Dynamics NAV, then Microsoft are engineering both products to talk to each other with minimum replicated data and so the users pops seamlessly between them without them even realising it.
That means you can be in an account or opportunity in CRM and create a quote or order through NAV where the items, pricing and availability logic is just ‘there’. In fact with Microsoft making all their Dynamics and Office products very similar in look and feel, even we are hard pressed to tell which one you’re in.
So why not have two of the most successful applications in their respective sectors over the last five years rather than a compromise that tries to do both?
Author: James Crowter
I’m passionate about how businesses can improve their efficiency by getting process optimal more of the time. For the last twenty five years I’ve worked to help organisations of all sizes and types implement the ERP & CRM software that typically they decide they need when things are going wrong. I’ve seen that work unbelievably well and enabled those organisations to rapidly grow but I’ve also had some hard projects over that time where it’s felt more like warfare at times.
Since 1996 (and version 1.01) I’ve been working with a small Danish product called Navision that’s now become Microsoft’s Dynamics NAV and I’ve also been using and consulting around Microsoft CRM since 2005. As managing Director of one of the longest established first Navision and now Microsoft Dynamics partners I’ve been involved in the complete history including numerous product councils and system design reviews. It’s my privilege to know many of the key Microsoft executives and product designers and have insight into both where the products are now and their future direction.
So colleagues & clients have asked me to start this blog to share some of the insight that both this knowledge (obviously where not restricted by NDA’s or client confidentiality) and experience can help. Specifically I want to concentrate not on the specifics of how (there are some great blogs already for that) but why. If any user helps their business make better decisions or consultant can give better advice then that will be objective achieved.
I founded Technology Management in 1992 and have led from the front ever since. Helping clients use technology to grow their business is my passion through explaining technology in terms that everyone can understand.
My interest in computing began at the age of eight, long before my school had the equipment to cope. Throughout school and university I developed software commercially.
I hold many IT certifications, such as Microsoft Dynamics NAV (for over 17 years), Microsoft Dynamics CRM (for over 10 years), as well as Microsoft Windows Server, Exchange and SQL. In October 2015, I was awarded the title of Most Valuable Professional (MVP), a title given to a select few individuals (31 currently) across the world specifically for Dynamics NAV.
After years of working with a range of distribution and manufacturing software for hundreds of organisations, I focus on understanding the business requirements of an organisation, what it will take to deliver the systems required to maximise their potential.
Follow me online via my other social channels:
- Twitter: @jamescrowter
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamescrowter
Or email me directly at james[.]crowter[@]tecman.co.uk.
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